AS A CHAIRMAN of governors I enthusiastically welcomed this Government’s commitment to “education, education, education”. Unfortunately, recent events have left me wondering whether its real priority is not “image, image, image”.
Last year my school was required to set targets for pupil achievement at key stage 2 in 2000. After the school’s senior management team had spent some considerable time assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current cohort, provisional targets were drawn up, and these were then discussed with and agreed by our LEA adviser. They were then additionally presented to, debated by and approved by the governing body.
Now the Government has sent down an edict to the county demanding that targets be revised upwards. For whose benefit is this move? For children and schools or for the Government’s image?
The Rev Dr Simon Coupland
Chairman of governors
Broadwater CE first and middle school
Worthing, West Sussex
